Artificial intelligence could be used to generate or fake news
Only a few countries have legislation that regulates Artificial Intelligence.
What you need to know:
- Artificial intelligence is likely to revolutionise the way journalists do their work.
- AI is also likely to open up opportunities for the manipulation and faking of news.
One of the complaints I handled last week was from Fred Sagwe, who teaches computing at Shimo La Tewa School, in Mombasa.
He is also the CEO of the Robotics Society of Kenya and a warrior of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution.
AI has been described as the fourth industrial revolution.
“The development of AI is as fundamental as the creation of the microprocessor, the personal computer, the internet and the mobile phone. It will change the way people work, learn, travel, get healthcare and communicate with each other,” writes Bill Gates in his blog “GatesNotes”.
Last September, Mr Sagwe took the AI revolution to Parliament in the form of a citizen’s petition.
He called it the “The Kenya Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Society Bill, 2023”. It seeks to provide a regulatory framework to promote responsible and ethical development and use of robotics and AI in Kenya.
It’s a forward-looking legislative initiative from a person keenly aware of the potential importance of AI to Kenya.
Threats from cyberbullies
Only a few countries, like the European Union and China, have legislation that regulates AI. So, Mr Sagwe is an avant-garde Kenyan AI advocate.
But he is unhappy with the way the Business Daily reported his Bill. He thinks the newspaper’s narrative that RSK is trying to lord it over other industry practitioners is misinformation and propaganda.
That it “has led to hate, abuses and threats from cyberbullies”. And it’s true most news media that republished the Business Daily story criticised the Bill and hang Mr Sagwe out to dry.
In its report, Business Daily equated “society” with Sagwe’s outfit, the Kenya Robotics Society (RSK). That is a clear misreading of the Bill.
The newspaper said: “The functions of the RSK are to, among others, regulate and promote the development of the robotics and AI industry” (‘Why IT experts want State to reject the new robotics bill’ — Business Daily, Feb. 7, 2024).
The Bill, Business Daily adds, requires any person or entity involved in the business of robotics or AI to be registered and licensed by the RSK after payment of a prescribed fee.
Regulatory framework
“Those who fail to register face a fine of up to Sh1 million or a jail term of up to two years, or both.”
Other media reports that based their stories on the Business Daily report lynched Mr Sagwe for what they suggested was an attempt by his outfit, the RSK, at regulating the AI industry to its benefit.
But nothing could be further from the truth; RSK doesn’t appear anywhere in the Bill.
What makes this complaint important is the fact that the AI revolution is real. It’s going to change the way we do things and communicate and it’s about time a regulatory framework was put in place.
In particular, AI is likely to revolutionise the way journalists do their work. While it will, on the whole, aid them to be more productive and creative, it’ll also open up opportunities for the manipulation and faking of news.
Let’s take a simple example. A video showing President William Ruto speaking fluent French is doing the rounds on social media. In TikTok, the 20-second footage is captioned “So, President Ruto can speak French.”
On YouTube, it’s captioned “H.E. Dr. William Ruto is a multi-languages (sic) President, he can speak French too.”
Misinformation and propaganda
Whether President Ruto speaks French or not is not the issue here; it is that he is shown speaking French in a video in which he originally spoke in English. The video was altered.
AI tools can change the language from one video to another while preserving the voice of the original speaker and the message. Such AI tools are available free online.
Generative AI, a type of AI that produces new data, such as ChatGPT, can create content including text, images, audio and video with the voice of real people. It can transcribe, summarise and analyse interviews and speeches.
It can convincingly replace one person’s likeness with that of another. ChatGPT is, arguably, the most popular generative AI tool.
However, Generative AI can make factual errors and ‘hallucinations’. They ‘hallucinate’ when they make up information, give inconsistent, irrelevant or contradictory information.
Even more dangerously, they can manipulate or fake the news, propagate misinformation and propaganda.
The Public Editor is an independent news ombudsman who handles readers’ complaints on editorial matters including accuracy and journalistic standards. Email: [email protected]. Call or text 0721989264
